Do You Remember

 

Stating the obvious makes for perfect pop. Do you believe this? Sure thing!

The dB's - Love Is For Lovers

John vs. Lou

Over at Boogie Woogie Flu, one of my fave music blogs, former dB´s drummer Will Rigby tackles the solo legacy of John Cale. In his guest post, illustrated with a couple of great and not so well known Cale tunes and a fun video clip, Rigby writes: "Count me among those who consider John Cale's post-Velvet Underground work superior overall to that of Lou Reed. Not to belittle Dirty Boulevard or Waves Of Fear or Kicks or all the other LR songs I love (and I can't say I've gone ga-ga over a JC album in years), but Cale's albums from the '70s find their way onto my speakers more often."

Can´t agree more, Will. I still play the eccentric Welsman´s seventies albums quite a lot too, and found that the baroque Paris 1919 (´73), the stark Fear (´74) and the heavy live onslaught of Sabotage (´79) still sound remarkably fresh on a modern day iPod. And while Slow Dazzle and Helen Of Troy (both ´75) may not be that consistent, they still have their moments of utter brilliance. Of Reed´s solo oeuvre on the other hand, I guess only the dark (melo-)drama of Berlin (´73) has stood the test of time quite well. Of his other seventies albums, only isolated tracks (Perfect Day, the evergreen Walk On The Wild Side, Street Hassle, Kicks) stand out.

Here are two tracks from the aforementioned Sabotage/Live album. Not an obvious best-of-live collection but a fresh batch of terrific songs, it was recorded in New York City´s punk mecca CBGB´s with a John Cale who was ready for war.

John Cale - Mercenaries (Ready For War) MP3

John Cale - Baby You Know MP3

Grab bag deluxe

Time to get your weekly fix of timeless tunes in Friday´s grab bag again. Here´s a healthy diet of songs that mattered to me over the past seven days, featuring some wild banjo stuff, some pure pop and a Dutch treat amongst others. Like Captain Beefheart said: "You can physically drown in paint, you can mentally drown in music..." Here´s your lifeline.

Let´s kick off tonight´s proceedings with Palace, a former nom de plume of the great Will Oldham (aka Bonnie Prince Billy). Here he uses a song by southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd to paint one of his trademark desolate landscapes. To call this intense would be an understatement. Originally released on 7-inch in ´96, it´s now available on the compilation Guarapero - Lost Blues 2 (Drag City). I´ve never heard the original btw, so I´d be much obliged if someone could help me out here.

Palace - Every Mother´s Son MP3

Uncle Dave Macon was a farmer who played the banjo as a hobby. He later ran his own horse-drawn wagon company. Macon started out as a professional musician at the ripe age of 50, only to find himself immensely popular almost overnight. Also known as the Dixie Dewdrop, Uncle Dave (1870-1952) soon became one of the first Grand Ole Opry stars at age 56. Buddy Won´t You Roll Down The Line (find it on Harry Smith´s incredible Anthology Of American Folk Music) is one of the most infectious pieces of music I know.

Uncle Dave Macon - Buddy Won´t You Roll Down The Line MP3

Pay attention you label bosses and A&R types out there... Yup, I know you´re reading this. Amsterdam´s Bingo Trappers are looking for a new record deal at the moment, so what´s keeping you guys? They already recorded albums for illustrious labels as Shrimper and Animal World in the past, while their trademark lofi sound has been compared to the Kinks, the Velvets and Syd Barrett´s Floyd. This is a brand new song, and I can´t get it out of my head.

Bingo Trappers - Greater Lakes Of Life MP3

For something totally different, check out John Fahey. Both eclectic guitar innovator and allround weirdo, Fahey (´39-´01) left behind a huge oeuvre that´s well worth exploring. Later in his life he also ran a fine record label (Revenant) and published a wonderful collection of short stories called How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life (Drag City Books). The delightfully titled When The Catfish Is In Bloom comes from The Essential John Fahey (Vanguard ´74).

John Fahey - When The Catfish Is In Bloom MP3

I still think Black And White should have been a huge hit. It never was of course. Still sounds as fresh and as sharp as the day it was recorded. One of my all-time favorite pure pop songs. You can find it on Stands For Decibels (´81) by the dB´s. Great band, sadly forgotten.

The dB´s - Black And White MP3

We´re going to finish tonight with Al Green, who´s going to take you to the river. I first heard this song in the version Talking Heads recorded for More Songs About Buildings And Food (´79). That was already great, but believe me, the original is even better. Funky as hell. It´s from Al Green Explores Your Mind (74´). Dip me in the water!

Al Green - Take Me To The River MP3